Algae is a pain. Black Beard Algea is in the tank. Reading some of the replies some seem to say that water flow could be a problem. I have a 29 gal tank with a hang on back filter. Do you think a power head would be good to keep the water from being stagnant is some areas of the tank? The funny thing about the BBA is that its is grown right under the filter. Would a powerhead and CO2 knock out BBA? Thanks

IME it grows in high flow AND low flow areas. If the flow is related to poor circulation of plant nutrients, then maybe it is a part of the problem, but by itself, altering the flow is probably not the answer.

Is this a planted tank? How are you running it? (high tech, low tech... details...)

My 55 gal show tank has a big HOB filter and two powerheads. Even doing 90% water changes every other week, I had black beard algae clinging to plants, filters, and driftwood. Stuff hung on for years, crippling and anubias and my java fern, but seems to be in decline for reasons unkown.

I started adding a fertilizer to my tank a few months back, and the plants are making a come back and the algae is not. I am not sure if the fertilizer and the black beard are related or interconnected in anyway, but I SPECULATE I was adding a minerals that promoted healthier plant growth which has since contributed to the accelerated black beard declined.

Thanks to all who replied I am not sure what kind of tank this is. It has many plants, 29gal, Hang on back filter, LED lights. No CO2. I do use fertilizers. Flourish with iron. Excel, Prople and Envy. I add them every 10 days from direction on bottle. Light are on 11 hours a day. I just cut back from 12.5 hours. The Black Beard Algea is growing on one plant. But funny thing is that the plant is growing. New shoots. The other plants look good. But the plants that are supposed to be red are green. They where red when I planted them. Thanks